Hello my lovely people and welcome back to Story Day!! *blows fanfare* And yes, the rumors are true – I is starting a serial! It’s a sci-fi story without one clear setting that follows the missions of Lasha Aldric, a Leaper Commander. (As a Leaper, she can create portals to other “worlds”.) I would love to say more, but alas, I shall not give things away. *winkety-wink* My current plan for this is to release one snippet a week until Part One is finished – then we’ll take a break from it and enjoy another surprise I’ve got up my sleeve. *grins* We might return for Part Two or we might forego it altogether, depending on how it’s received.
But, because of this, there shall no longer be prompts. Just the story. So the format for these is going to change just a tad. 😉
Anywho, enough chit-chat! Let us move on to… *drumroll*
The Caretaker – Part 1.1
Darkness cloaked the streets of Shiprock, New Mexico, as Lasha Aldric stalked her prey. Her fingers absently stroked the pistol hidden beneath her worn leather jacket. Dull moonlight filtered through the shadowed clouds above.
There you are, she thought, catching sight of the flitting figure ahead of her. Her breath quickened as she curled her fingers around the pistol and drew it.
Please be quiet. Slowly, she cocked the pistol, wincing at the loud click that echoed around the alley. Her prey paused, suddenly suspicious. He sniffed the air.
“Ah, Leaper.” His voice was guttural and raspy, not at all like a human’s was supposed to be. Yeah, this guy didn’t belong on Earth.
Lasha stepped out of the shadows, holding her pistol with both hands and keeping her sights on the figure before her. “Hello, gunar. You’re supposed to be on Moekino.”
He popped his neck as he turned to face her. “What business of it is yours, Leaper? As far as I’m concerned, you’re supposed to be on Illarian.”
“How did you access a portal?” Lasha kept her voice firm and cold. “Why Shiprock?”
Flat black eyes glinted in the shadow of the gunar’s baseball cap. “Why not Shiprock? It’s warm here, and there’s plenty of food.”
Lasha rolled her eyes. “Nice try. Answer the question.”
A slithering hiss snaked its way through the nighttime air between them. “Why do you need to know?”
Her sweaty grip on her gun tightened. “Don’t make me pull this trigger,” she warned. “I don’t think a gunar’s ever felt a bullet before, and I don’t want you to be the first one.”
The gunar sighed, then held up his hands. “What are you going to do, Leaper? Send me back to Moekino? Why aren’t we allowed here?”
“Orders,” Lasha replied as she edged forward, tensed to spring if this was a trap. “Earth isn’t ready for interworld contact and diplomacy.”
A smirk glinted in the gloom. “Then why does it even exist? It’s been several thousand years and still they’re not ready.”
Lasha released one hand from the gun, part of her brain focusing on the energy crackling between her fingers while keeping her other finger on the trigger. “Just be warned,” she said. “If you disobey the rules again I’ll be forced to take you to the InterWorld Prisons.”
That grating laugh gusted through the air again. “Like I care.”
“You should. It’s not a pleasant place.” Lasha was now within an arm’s reach of the gunar. “By law of the InterWorlds, you have broken the treaty between Earth’s caretaker and Moekino’s. Therefore you are no longer permitted to own weapons of either dimension. Hand them over immediately or there will be consequences.”
The gunar tilted his head ever so slightly. A lock of silver hair draped over his eye. “What makes you think I have weapons?” Great. Sweat began to slick the trigger beneath Lasha’s finger. A rebel.
Wrap Up
*sweet smile*
Yes, cliffhangers are going to become more common around here. 😉
What are your thoughts? What is a gunar, and why is he on Earth? Are rebels common? Who is Lasha, and where does she come from, and why is it so bad for a gunar to be in Shiprock? (Also, apologies to anyone living in Shiprock if I give you nightmares. XD I showed this to a girl once who lived near there, and she said the thought of gunars there was slightly unnerving.)
And, as always, take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!
~Joelle
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